Floating dry-dock.



A; 0. CUNNINGHAM. i

FLOATING DRY DOCK.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 24, 1910.

1,022,931, r Patented Apr.9, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I g I 4144/ COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH C0" WASHINGTON. D. C.

A. G. CUNNINGHAM.

FLOATING DRY DOCK.

APPLICATION TILED DEC. 24, 1910.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

2'SHBETS-SHBET 2.

ANDREW C. CUNNINGHAM, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

FLOATING DRY-DOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

Application filed December 24, 1910. Serial No. 599,075.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW C. CUNNING- HAM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Washington, District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Floating Dry-Docks; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to floating dry docks and more particularlyto sectional floating docks of the type shown in my Patent No. 710,765,dated October 7, 1902.

The object of the invention is to improve in a number of respects theconstruction set forth in the above mentioned patent, especially with aview of obtaining greater ease and facility in the assemblage,adjustment and rearrangement of the several parts of the dock structure.

The invention provides a structure in which the bottoms of theindividual detachable dock sections aremade in parts directedtransversely of the dock sections and preferably comprisingcomparatively small pontoons having provision at their ends forattachment tothe lower edges of the upright side walls of the docksections. These pontoons may be made of different sizes, preferably asregards the length or depth of the same, in order that they can be soarranged on the associated sections of a dock as to float a dockedvessel or the like in a uniform manner, regardless of the distributionof weight in such vessel in a fore and aft direction. By making thepontoons or bottom units of the dock sections of. uniform width theinterchangeability of such pontoons with respect to the several docksections is provided for, and by constructing the dock as a whole in themanner indicated, provision is made for the easy self-docking of theindividual pontoons in the manner to be presently described.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure .1 is a side elevation of afloating dry dock constructed in accordance with the invention, one ofthe pontoons being self-docked as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 2 is atop plan view of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. 2, Figs. 4:and 5 are enlarged detail views of different forms of connection whichmay be adopted to secure together the meeting ends of the dock sectionsor units. Fig. 6 is a partial end View, on an enlarged scale, .of one ofthe dock sections, and Figs. 7 to 10 show different arrangements of thedock structure as called for by the distribution of weight in the vesselor other structure to be docked.

Referring to the drawings, particularlyto Figs. 1 to 3, a denotes aplurality of individual dock sect-ions or units, each of which is of theusual channel like form and open at the ends, which are adapted to bedetachably secured to the ends of the adjacent sections as indicated inmy prior patent. According to the present invention, however, the docksections are not formed of inteside walls Z7 supported by a plurality oftransverse underlying elements such as the pontoons 0.

The several sections a, which obviously vary in number as called for bycircumstances, are preferablyconnected end to end by means of theconnecting devices 6 extending along and attached to the upright endedges of the side walls I) in such a manner that the adjacent docksections are readily detachable from each other and may, as in my priorpatent, be secured together, if desired, while at different elevationswith respect to the water level.

Fig. 4 shows in detail one form of connecting devices 6, which, asindicated, comprise flanges e on the meeting ends of the side walls,which flanges are detachably united by a butt joint formed at 6 Amodified form of connection is shown at e in Fig. 5, but it will bereadily understood that the particular connecting means employed formsno part of the invention, and it is for this reason that I have notdescribed this feature in detail.

The pontoons c, as previously intimated, are directed transversely ofthe dock sections, and extend at their ends beneath the side walls I) inorder to support the same. The ends of the pontoons are detachablysecured to the lower ends of the side walls by means of mating flangesf, g,-bolted-or otherwise secured to the side walls and the .pontoonsrespectively and secured together by means such as the bolts h, as shownin Fig. 6. In this way, the pontoons may be detached from the dock unitssimply by removing the bolts h, as will be understood.

It is preferable to have the pontoons c of a predetermined width withrespect to the dock sections, in order that said pontoons may beinterchangeable as between the several sections. Of course it will beunderstood that the number of pontoons used in connection with a givendock section is a matter of choice, and that, of course, the docksections themselves may be of different lengths. In this latter case,however, the interchangeability of the pontoons or bot tom unitsisretained by having the width of the pontoons bear a certain ratio tothe length of the dock sectionsyas will be understood.

It is manifestly desirable to furnish pontoons of different volume inconnection with a given dock so that uniformly small or uniformly largepontoons may be employed as called for by conditions, and so that if theweight of the vessel or other structure to be docked is unequallydistributed in a fore and aft direction this can be compensated for bythe assemblage in the dock structure in an appropriate manner ofpontoons of different sizes.

As it is preferable to have the pontoons of uniform width, for thereason previously explained, this variation in size is reached either bylengthening some pontoons as compared to others or varying the depth ofthe pontoons, and of course it is also possi ble to vary both the lengthand depth ofthese elements.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a dock of three sections in which theintermediate section is buoyed up by pontoons 0 of greater depth thanthe pontoons 0 used in connection with the end sections; and obviouslythis arrange ment is adapted to float uniformly a vessel in which thegreater part of the weight is distributed at or near the center in afore and aft direction. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 8, on the otherhand, the relatively deep pontoons 0 are used at the inner parts of theend sections, to compensate for a concentration of the weight of thedocked vessel at the bow and stern there of. In some cases, it may beexpedient to use a shallow and a deep pontoon with each section, asshown in Fig. 9, wherein the dock is shown as consisting of foursections. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 10, an increased buoyingcapacity is given to certain of the pontoons c by extending their endslaterally beyond those of the-ordinary sized pontoons 0. Obviously thislast named arrangement corresponds to the deepening of the pontoons c,as shown in Fig. 8, and of course by increasing the depth of thepontoons 0 as compared to that of the pontoons c a still greater buoyingcapacity of said pontoons 0 may be obtained.

It is to be understood that by employing the system described many otherarrangements beside those indicated in the drawings may be adopted ascalled for by conditions.

Obviously the invention is not concerned complete in itself andpreferably has its own pumping machinery, piping, operating parts.

Such being the construction of my improved dock, it will be manifestthat as the sections a are all of the same cross section and provided atthe ends with similar fastening devices, such sections may be connectedtogether end to end in any number and arrangement, and that the pontoons0 may be used in connection with any of the sections inasmuch as saidpontoons are of uniform width and provided with similar fasteningdevices cooperating with the similar fastening devices at the loweredges of the side walls 6 of the sections.

With such a construction the method of operation for the rearrangementof the pontoons, after they have been once assembled, is substantiallyas follows: The dock is sunk by uniform flooding of the pontoons untilthe latter are submerged nearly to the top. The connections between theside walls of the sections and those pontoons which it is desired torearrange, are removed and the dock is then raised by pumping, with thedisconnected pontoons floating free. The pontoons are then removed in anendwise direction from under the dock and arranged as desired. The dockis then lowered by flooding and the detached pontoons are secured to theside walls of the respective sections in the desired positions, afterwhich the dock is again ready for operation.

In order to effect the self-docking of any of the individual pontoons orbottom elements, the procedure is as follows: The pontoon to beself-docked is removed from its section in a sidewise direction, viz.,laterally and away from the dock, just as in the previously describedrearrangement of the pontoons. The dock is then sunk sufficiently topermit the detached pontoon to be floated into the same 2'. 6., over thesubmerged pontoons between the walls of the dock, until said pontoon isbrought lengthwise and centrally of one of the dock sections, afterwhich the dock is raised by pumping, which will result in the detachedpontoon being valves, and

raised out of water by the underlying pon-- toons of the correspondingdock section, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. It is obvious that thepontoon can be replaced in its initial position by simply reversing theabove described operations.

In carrying out the self-docking operation, I sometimes prefer toreplace the pontoon being docked by a new or temporary pontoon, which issubstituted for the first named pontoon after the latter has beenremoved laterally from its position in the dock structure. The flangesf, g of the side walls and pontoons respectively may evidently remain inplace without disturbance during the rearrangement and docking of theindividual pontoons. It will be understood that although the innerfastening flanges f are indicated at the left only of Fig. 2, they arein practice used in connection with each pontoon. In this connection,however, I do not wish to indicate that my invention is limited to theuse of fastening devices similar to the flanges f, g, and the bolts 72.,as various changes in this particular as well as in the other featuresof the invention may be adopted without digressing from my inventiveidea, the scope of which is defined in the claims.

WVhat I claim is 1. In a floating dry dock, a plurality of sectionscomprising pairs of parallel upright side walls connected end to end indetachable relation with each other, and a plurality of transversepontoons underlying and supporting each pair of side walls, saidpontoons being interchangeable with respect to the several pairs of sidewalls. v

2. In a floating dock structure, dock sections each comprising bottomunits or pontoons interchangeable as between each other and saidsections, certain of said pontoons differing from others indisplacement, whereby the dock structure may be accommodated to alocalization or concentration of weight in the vessel to be docked, asdescribed.

3. In a floating dock structure, interchangeable dock sectionsdetachably connected end to end, each of said sections comprising sidewalls and transverse underlying pontoons detachably secured to saidwalls, all of said pontoons being of the same width and interchangeableas between each other and the different sections, but certain of saidpontoons varying from others in displacement, whereby the pontoons maybe arranged to accommodate the dock structure to a localization orconcentration of weight in the vessel to be docked.

4. In a floating dry dock structure, the combination of parallel uprightside walls, a pontoon directed transversely of said side walls andextending at its ends beneath the same, flanges on the upper surface ofthe pontoon, similar flanges attached to the lower edges of the sidewalls and mating with those of the pontoon, and bolts detachablysecuring said flanges together.

5. A floatingdry dock, comprising a plurality of independent sections,each section having continuous side walls and a plurality of transversepontoons, all of said pontoons being of the same Width so as to beinterchangeable in position, but some having greater depth than othersfor securing greater displacement, and the fastening devices on eachpontoon for securing it to the 7 bottom of said side walls being likethose on all other pontoons in construction and position whereby theymay be.connected in any position to any of said side walls.

6. A floating dry dock, comprising a plurality of independent sections,each section having continuous side walls and a plurality of transversepontoons, all of said pontoons being of the same width so as to beinterchangeable in position, but some having greater length than othersfor receiving greater displacement, and the fastening devices on eachpontoon for securing it to the bottom of said side walls being likethose on all other pontoons in construction and position whereby theymay be connected in any position to any of said side walls.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREWV C. CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR L. BRYANT, CHAS. J. ONEILL.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

